New semester, same problems. Are you the type of person who can never seem to get yourself to work ahead and are constantly doing things last minute? Or maybe you think that you can get away with being a procrastinator forever because it’s got you this far? It’s time to start kicking those procrastination habits to the curb. Here are six things you can try this semester to stay on top of your courses. 

Try a timer

You have probably seen the timer fad that has taken the “It Girl” demographic by storm. Whether you use an app on your phone, a computer program, or these adorable little buzzing cubes, this can be a great way to help manage time. You can set predetermined amounts of time to work on an assignment each day instead of trying to do it all at once. It can help you stay focused and avoid distractions within that time frame. You can also use the timers to build in breaks. 

Set small achievable goals to break down big assignments into smaller chunks

This can go hand in hand with the timer trick. Maybe on the day that a paper is assigned, you go home and create a google doc and write your name, date, professor, class, and title and that is all you do for the day. Then maybe the next time you have that class you write five bullet points you want to expand on. Then another day you write just the introduction. And so on until the paper is done. Trust me, this is much easier than chugging a coffee and trying to throw a five page paper together in two hours. It also allows for time to edit your work and even get help from the writing center or your professor. And it goes beyond writing a paper. Use this same method to break down study topics for an upcoming exam or for creating projects or presentations. 

Tell someone about your goal

You know that nagging voice in the back of your head, right? It’s the one that is constantly telling you to do the assignment you are putting off instead of binge watching The Office for the tenth time. It’s easy to ignore that voice. Now imagine if that voice was your roommate or friend who knows that you have a paper that you should be writing. A 2015 study published by the American Psychological Association found that people are more likely to achieve their goals when they closely monitor their progress, and the chances of success are better if their progress is publicly reported or physically recorded. So tell your roommate that your goal is to have the first part of your assignment done in an hour. You are more likely to stay on task and now you have someone to support your progress. 

Stay on campus instead of going home or to your residence hall

This is one of my golden rules to survive college. For many people, it’s hard to study and relax in the same space, especially in your residence hall where there is limited space (and a roommate). I would recommend finding a space on campus – whether it is the library, a study room in Armstrong, or a study room in your favorite academic building – and going there between or after your classes to do your assignments. We all fall victim to the between-class naps and the “I’m just going to watch a few episodes” breaks. This strategy eliminates the temptation all together.  

Use incentives (no matter how big or small)

Maybe you have been wanting to try a new restaurant uptown instead of the dining hall for dinner, or you have been holding out on a new sweatshirt from Brick and Ivy. Attaching incentives to goals makes you more eager to achieve them and in a timely manner. They also do not always have to be big. You can reward yourself with 30 mins of TikTok if you read a chapter of your assigned reading. Or for each page you read, you can have a bite of your favorite snack. 

Go to the writing center

Sometimes it’s not procrastination; it’s writer’s block. I find myself procrastinating essays the most, and sometimes it comes from me sitting down in front of a blank google doc and not knowing where to start so I just give up. The writing center in King Library is a great tool to use if you constantly feel overwhelmed by writing assignments. They can help you brainstorm ideas, refine thesis statements, and teach you how to effectively outline papers. They also can help you throughout your writing process and help to edit your final work for the best grade possible.

Use Rinella resources

The Rinella Learning Center can help with procrastination and a number of other academic issues. If you’re more into exploring ideas and resources on your own, they have several online workshops that you can complete on your own time (Motivation and Procrastination is a good one!). Or you can sign up for an academic counseling session to meet with a Learning Specialist to talk about study strategies, improving performance, and beyond. 

The overarching rule of thumb for beating procrastination seems to be to break assignments down into time chunks and find a space and motivation strategy that works best for you. It is never too late to create an approach to manage your time better and to become a more proactive student. 

Grace Cooper